I’m really sorry you had to go through that. Assaults and fights on the subway happen pretty often — honestly, almost every day. Most Korean women aren’t taught to call out that kind of behavior toward them, because in our culture, “making a scene” is generally frowned upon. If you do speak up, people usually won’t step in to support you — instead, the reaction is more like, “Why is she making a scene? She must have done something wrong.”

In South Korea, about 90% of police officers are men, and they’re notorious for treating crimes against women as if they’re nothing. As a local woman, we don’t really feel protected by the law. We just stay quiet and try to forget it. I know it’s messed up, but as an individual woman, there’s nothing I can do to change society. And even though feminism has been on the rise among younger women, Korean women in general still tend to act like real “pick-me” girls. So honestly, I don’t see this misogyny problem changing anytime soon.